975 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225

The 44-unit, 4-story tenement building at 975 Washington Avenue in Crown Heights, owned by Mordechai Appelbaum and constructed in 1926, has experienced numerous building and maintenance issues in recent years. Most concerning are multiple safety and health violations documented between April and June 2025, including mold, water leaks, and unsanitary conditions.

Specifically, the property has shown persistent problems with mold (noted in both April and May 2025), a problematic water leak in April 2025, and rodent issues, with inspections confirming rat activity in multiple inspections between 2020 and 2025. Recent complaints have also been made about smoke and carbon monoxide detector compliance, though inspections found no violations in these specific instances. More structural concerns were documented in late 2024, including violations related to mice infestation (Apartment 4H), water leaks (Apartment 3I), and several maintenance issues in Apartment 4K including heating problems and roof leaks.

The building has a history of inspection access issues, as seen in multiple attempts for various complaints in 2024 and 2025 where inspectors were unable to gain access. While there have been multiple permit issuances between 2019-2020 for various work types, including Electrical, Plumbing, and Alteration work, there were also several Environmental Control Board violations issued in 2019 regarding construction worker training compliance, though these were resolved. The building has consistently reported zero bedbug infestations annually since 2019, indicating successful pest management in that regard, despite ongoing rodent issues.